The Broken Padlock
by AmyHale
Summary: Mark is unexpectedly told he has another daughter in addition to his Sofia, and he takes her in after her mother's death. What happens when, two months later, he finds himself on a crashing plane? - Mark/Lexie, Callie/Arizona, Derek/Meredith
1. Loud Shock

**My new story! As the summary says, it starts two months before the plane disaster. I only made one change, Mark and Lexie are back together. Enjoy!**

**The Broken Padlock**

**Chapter One**

**-Loud Shock-**

Callie and Arizona were in the kitchen of their apartment, cleaning up after their family dinner. Two-year-old Sofia had just fallen asleep, and they had a nice movie night planned, just the two of them.

"What do you want to watch first, _The Matrix_ or _Harry Potter_?" Arizona asked after drying the last plate.

"It's the same for me, but I can see you're impatient to watch Harry Potter for the thousandth time, aren't you?" Callie winked.

"You're right, I can't help it."

"I know. Hurry, I want to hold you in my arms."

They got comfortable on the couch, with a blanket covering their legs and close to one another.

Arizona hit 'play' on the TV remote, and the movie started. A pleasant sigh escaped her lips as she rested her body against Callie's.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU SAYING?" a loud voice suddenly popped their peaceful bubble.

"It's Mark!" Callie exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "I thought Lexie was with Meredith tonight."

"NO, YOU'RE JUST A FUCKING FUCKED UP LIAR!" Mark yelled again, making the two women wince again.

"Okay, there's no way Mark would talk to Lexie like this."

"Let's go see." Callie took Arizona's hand and they walked to Mark's apartment.

The door was half-open and they entered cautiously.

"Mark?"

Mark was standing in the middle of the room, talking – yelling – in direction of a woman, who was crying silently. A young girl was a few steps away, watching.

"Who are they?" the woman asked softly.

"They're my friends." Mark spat out harshly. "My daughter's mothers."

"I'm Callie, and she's Arizona, my wife."

"I'm Elizabeth." she said, wiping her face. Trembling, she placed her hand on the back of a chair to sustain herself.

"And that girl is her daughter." a livid Mark explained. "Who apparently is also mine."

"What?" Arizona was unable to hide her shock.

"I never told Mark I was pregnant." Elizabeth continued. "I didn't think he would be capable of being a father. I made the choice for him, I know, but I can't change the past."

"So you're trying to make up for it now?" Callie asked, feeling angry. Mark was a wonderful dad. "You're granting him the choice after what," she glanced at the girl. "Fifteen years?"

"I'm dying. I could die at any moment, and I need Mark to sign some papers that say he's Mel's father. I need to make sure she'll be with someone who can take care of her."

"And how can you be sure of that?" Callie challanged her. "You didn't think he could back then."

"Because he's her father, and he's the best out of all the possibilities I have now." Elizabeth answered, then swallowed, sitting on the chair. "He said you have a daughter with him. Is he good with her?"

"He's amazing with her." Arizona spoke up.

"Then I'm making the right choice."

"Mom, I don't want to stay here." Mel's whining voice was heard for the first time.

Elizabeth smiled. "Trust me, honey. You'll be good here." then she gasped for air, and fell to the ground.

"Mom!" Mel cried, launching herself towards her mother.

Arizona called an ambulance while Callie tried to help Elizabeth. Mark, frozen, hadn't moved.

The ambulance arrived, covering Mel's shrieks.

Arizona put her hand on Callie's forearm. "I'll stay with Sofia, you go. Call me when you know something."

Callie nodded, following the paramedics with Mel and Mark at her heels.

"Mel, what kind of illness does your mother have?"

The girl took her time answering, scared, trembling. "Colon cancer."

"Okay. Don't worry, alright? We're surgeons. There are plenty of amazing doctors at Seattle Grace-Mercy West Hospital."

"We're going to Seattle Pres, Dr. Torres. It's closer."

"Page Bailey." Mark ordered. "And Meredith."

Elizabeth regained consciousness as they were pushing her gurney through the hospital doors. She grasped Mark's wrist, causing him to wince, and looked him straight into his eyes. "My bag... the papers... sign, Mark... please."

He nodded.

"Promise."

"I promise. I will. I'll sign. She'll be safe and happy with me."

Then Elizabeth turned to look at her daughter. "I love you, Mel."

"Mom! Mom, I love you too. Stay strong." she said kissing her cheek.

"I'm Dr. Davies." a male doctor approached them quickly. "I'm going to take her into surgery immediately. I'll send someone to update you soon."

Elizabeth was brought away to the surgical wing, and Mark collapsed on one of the impersonal and uncomfortable chairs of the waiting room, his face hidden in his palms.

Callie tried to lead Mel to another chair, but the girl, sobbing hard, pushed her away.

"Mel, we won't know anything for a while." Callie told her softly. "Why don't you try and calm down? I'm going to get you something to drink. Is a coke okay?"

Mel didn't answer, but Callie walked away anyway, coming back five minutes later with a can of coke, two bottles of water and a pack of chips. Mel was now sitting two chairs away from Mark; she was still crying, but quietlier. Callie handed her the can, smiling weakly when she took it. She sat down beside her. "Don't worry too much. Everything is going to work out."

"Even if she dies?"

"Not immediately, but eventually yes. One day you'll just look back and smile at the memories, and it won't hurt as much as it does now."

Mel was about to say something in answer, but the brief dialogue was intterupted by Bailey's arrival.

"I'm here, I'm here. Meredith couldn't come. What happened?"

Callie quickly told her who Elizabeth was and why she was being operated, and Miranda agreed to help Dr. Davies if he let her.

Mark jumped on his feet as she left. "I'm going to the gallery, I can't stay here and do nothing. Can you, can you keep an eye on Elizabeth's bag? The papers are in it. I'll sign them later." then he looked at _his daughter_, as it slowly really sank in. "I'm really sorry about everything, Mel. Please, stay here with Callie. I'll be back soon."

"Well, this leaves just us." Callie said, looking through the papers Mark was talking about. "Melanie Roslyn Marshall. It's a beautiful name. Hey, look." she took her wallet, showing a photograph. "This is your little sister, Sofia. She's two years old."

Hesitantly, Mel took it from her hand, staring at the little girl's face. "She's cute."

"I don't really know what your mother's doctors told her, and how spread her cancer is... but whatever happens, Mel, you'll alwayas have Mark. He may be a stranger to you now, and vice versa, but he's a great dad and he already loves you, of that I'm sure. He surely started to love you the second your mom told him you're his daughter."

"I grew up just fine without a dad." Mel replied.

Callie looked at her, smiling softly. "Having a dad is more than just fine."

* * *

It had been more than a hour, and no one had looked for them yet, not even Mark. Mel was starting to agitate again, sniffing from time to time, and Callie, worried about her best friend, was out of topics that could distract the teenager.

"I'm going to call my wife really briefly, okay? I'll be right back."

Looking for a private corner, she took out her cellphone and dialed her house number, waiting to hear Arizona's voice.

_"Hey."_ she said, softly.

"Hey. We don't know anything. We're at Seattle Pres because it was the closest, we paged Miranda and Mark is in the gallery watching."

"_How's the girl?"_

"Mel? She's calmer, but the lack of information is killing her. I've been telling her about Sofia and other stuff to distract her, but I don't know what more I can say. I keep thinking about Elizabeth's face the moment before she fell."

_"I know."_ Arizona said sadly. _"I really hope she makes it."_

"Me too."

_"Look, I was about to call you actually. Meredith got called in so Lexie stopped by to see Mark. I told her he was out with a friend from med school but I think she knows it's a lie. Should we say something?"_

Callie sighed. "I don't know. I don't want to be the one to tell her. I don't want her and Mark to break up again."

_"Why don't you go up to the gallery and see what's happening?" _She suggested. _"If Elizabeth dies Mel will need Mark, and Mark will need Lexie. Sure, you'll be there, but Lexie should be there as well. I think you should call her just in case, and if it's bad than you could tell her."_

"Yeah, you're right. I'll see how Elizabeth is, and if she's okay then I'll tell Mark to call her tomorrow. If the situation is bad, I'll call Lexie. God, this is so hard. I don't know what to do."

_"Just stay calm and try to be strong. Sofia and I will be waiting for you."_

Callie glanced towards Mel. "Mark is here, I need to go. Crap, he looks awful. I'll call you later."

_"I love you. Bye."_

Callie quickly walked back to where Mel and Mark were, just as Mel burst into tears and Mark tried to hug her. _Oh God, no._

"Mark!"

Mel stood up and started to hit Mark on his chest. "I hate you! You made her last minutes miserable. You're the most horrible person I have ever met! I'd rather die than live with you!"

Callie grabbed her, pulling her to her chest and holding her tight. "It's okay, Mel. It's gonna be okay. Shhh."

Mel was sobbing hard, and though she tried to pull away, after a while she let Callie stroke her hair and rock her back and forth.

Looking up at Mark, Callie noticed he'd been crying. She watched as he reached for the papers she had left on the chair, took out a pen and signed his name a few times, where it was needed. Now he was Mel's father.

"Mark." Callie whispered after a while. "Let's go home, okay? We can come back tomorrow morning so that Mel can see Elizabeth one last time."

He nodded, clearing his throat a few times. "Bailey said she'd wait for us outside, she'll drive us home."

"Okay. Maybe we should go now." gently, she helped Mel to stand up, keeping her arm steadily wrapped around her shoulders. It was raining outside, so they got quickly into Miranda's car. The drive was extremely silent, except for Mel's agonizing sobs and Mark's occasional sighs. When Bailey stopped the car in front of their building, Callie gently led the teenager out of the vehicle.

"I'm really sorry about Elizabeth." Bailey said to them, looking slightly guilty. Callie didn't know how to reply. "I'll call tomorrow to check on you, alright?"

Mark managed to give her a weak nod, and she drove away in the night. Callie looked at the time: it was almost eleven, and though she was used to stay awake for a big amount of time, she felt incredibly exhausted. Entering the elevator, she glanced at Mark. He somewhat resembled a ghost, and she could almost feel his pain.

Before going to her own apartment, Callie opened the door to Mark's, and she gasped in surprise seeing Lexie on the couch, a book in her hands.

"Here you are! What happened? I _knew_ Arizona was lying. Who's that girl?"

Again, Callie glanced at Mark, slowly letting go of Mel. "Mark, why don't you fix up the bed in the spare room for Mel? And show her the bathroom, she must need to freshen up. I'll talk to Lexie, okay?"

When he and Mel disappeared to the other room, Callie took place beside Lexie, looking at her sadly. "You're right, Arizona lied. We didn't exactly know what to tell you. Around eight we heard Mark yell and we came to see what was going on. We initially thought you two were having a fight, but there was another woman here. She was that girl's mother. Lexie, this is not going to be easy..." Callie sighed, frustrated. "Mark was told he has a daughter. That girl is his daughter. Her mother never told him, Lexie."

Callie stopped, giving Lexie some time to take her words in.

The young woman let out a few deep breaths. "Why now?"

"She was dying - she died. While she was explaining she collapsed, we called an ambulance. Bailey and another doctor from Seattle Pres operated on her, but she didn't make it. She came here to Mark to have him sign some papers."

"For the girl?"

"For the girl." Callie nodded.

Lexie sighed sadly. "What am I supposed to do?"

Callie placed her hand on Lexie, looking at her with sympathy. "Mark needs you right now, Lexie. He's just taken the biggest responsability one could take. Mel – the girl – will most likely live here, and it's gonna be hard because she's hurting and Mark feels guilty and they both don't know what to do. Please, Lexie, don't leave him again. I understand that you don't want children yet, but just try. You wouldn't be her mother, just someone who can help her heal. And who can help Mark to figure it all out."

Lexie slowly nodded, and Callie, before going back to her apartment, was glad to hear her tell Mark she was in for the long run.


	2. Motionless

**The Broken Padlock**

**Chapter Two**

**-Motionless-**

Mark didn't get much sleep that night. He talked with Lexie for a while before she went home, agreeing to come back the next day after work. Mel was crying loudly in the guest room – her new bedroom – and didn't allow him to enter. He understood her feelings; he had reacted in the wrong way when Elizabeth told him he had a daughter, but it was only out of shock. Yes, he was angry, but as Elizabeth said, they couldn't change the past, as much as he wished they could. Going through Elizabeth's stuff he found other information that would help him; there were school suggestions, phone numbers to call Elizabeth's family and a social worker. Mark decided he would call after breakfast, it was too early at the moment, and he also needed to ask for a few days off.

Being a father was scary. With Sofia he knew what to do, Callie and Arizona were there and Sofia loved him; Mel didn't even like him and he had never interacted with a teenager girl who wasn't a patient of him.

Mark made pancakes – he had finally learned how to thanks to Callie – and set the table, hoping that Mel would sit with him. He was scared, yes, but also extremely excited to have another daughter, and he couldn't wait to get to know her like he knew Sofia.

It was a little after nine when he knocked on Mel's door, receiving a muffled grumble in answer. "Mel, breakfast's ready. I made pancakes and there's hot cocoa... please, come out?"

He didn't want to invade her privacy opening the door, but he stayed there, trying to catch her movements. He heard her get up and open the window, and then suddenly she opened the door and they were face to face.

"Good morning." Mark said, looking at her. She sill had a trace of tears on her face and she didn't look rested at all, but that was to be expected. Mark thought that she was beautiful. She had honey blonde hair, brown intense eyes and she looked a lot like Elizabeth, though he noticed she had something from him, too. "Are you hungry?"

The girl didn't answer, she only let out an annoyed snort and passed him by, looking around.

"The kitchen's on your left." Mark told her, following her. "There's also coffee, if you want some."

Silently, Mel poured herself some, going towards the couch.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Mark sighed.

"Well, I understand if you're mad. I, I lost my mother at a young age too. And I felt like I hated the universe, like it was everybody's fault. So I totally get it if you want to take it out on me, because you're right, I said bad things to your mom before she -" Mark trailed off with a grimace. He didn't want to say it. "... But I'll be here if you need me, whenever that will be. I'm going to talk to a social worker. I don't really know how these things work, but your mom wanted you to stay with me and I signed the papers, and I'm never letting anyone take you from me... unless you want to. Elizabeth's sister... I don't remember her name. Alice? Well, would you rather live with her?"

"Alice is a crappy person. I'd rather stay in foster care, though. So just call the social workers and tell them to come pick me up."

"You don't even want to give it a try?" Mark asked, hurt, feeling as if he was falling in an abyss.

Mel shook her head slightly and walked back to her room.

* * *

Mark called the social worker several times, but it always went to voice-mail. Eventually, when he was about to give up and ask Derek for advice – realizing he had to tell him about Mel – a male voice answered.

"_Hello?"_

Mark cleared his throat.

"Hello, this is Mark Sloan. I'm calling about, uh, Elizabeth Marshall."

"_Ah, yes, you're Melanie's father, am I right?"_

"I am."

"_Elizabeth and I talked about it several times. Is she -"_

"Last night." Mark answered. "She died last night."

"_I am so sorry."_

"I, I signed the papers Elizabeth gave me. Mel is here with me. But I don't know what I need to do now."

"_Can you come to my office at... eleven thirty? I'll explain everything to you and Melanie."_

"Sure, of course. Where?"

The man gave him directions, and Mark ended the call with a sigh._ It's easy_, he told himself. _Easy._

Around ten thirty Mark knocked on Mel's door again, and no answer came. He knocked again, harder, calling her name. A minute later, he pushed the door open, and his heart stung when he saw her asleep on the bed, holding the beige and green scarf her mother was wearing the previous night.

He gently touched her shoulder, afraid of her reaction, but Mel didn't scream. Her eyes opened in a sudden movement, but she sat up slowly.

"We have an appointment with the social worker in a little over an hour. That means we have to leave in forty minutes, maximum. Better if earlier."

Mel sighed heavily. "I need to shower."

"Of course. There are clean towels on the radiator of the bathroom. Go ahead."

While Mel was getting ready, Mark went to Callie and Arizona's apartment. He let himself in with his key, and smiled when Sofia reached out for him from Arizona's arms.

"Hello, baby girl." Mark placed a big kiss on her temple. "How are you this morning?"

"Daddy!"

"I love you, Princess."

"How are you, Mark?" Arizona asked him. "Did Mel settle in?"

"She barely talks to me, but I hope it'll get better. We're meeting with a social worker in an hour."

"Let us know how it goes, later."

"I will." he sighed. "I really don't know what to do."

"Hey, Mark. Why don't you come here for dinner?" Callie suggested, walking in the room with only a bathrobe on.

"I'll let you know."

"How's Mel?"

"Not okay, obviously. Look, I have to go, I just came to say hi to Sofia and let you know that I'm meeting with the social worker. I'll call you later."

"Sure, and say hi to Mel from me!"

"I will... Bye, girls. Bye, Sofy, Daddy loves you!"

Mel was still in the bathroom when Mark went back to his apartment, so he turned on the TV to watch the news, but he actually didn't hear what they were saying. He kept thinking about Elizabeth, about Mel. It had all been so sudden, yet the previous night had been the longest of his life. He wasn't sure if he could be a good dad to Mel, but he surely wanted to try, to do his best. He already loved her deeply, and he didn't want some stranger to take her in, even if she said she didn't want to stay with him. He hoped she'd let him in, after a while. The first weeks were going to be the hardest for both of them, he knew that, but he wasn't going to give up. He didn't want Mel to think he didn't care. He'd cook her breakfast, show her Seattle's beauty, tell her about himself, Callie, Arizona, Sofia, Lexie. He was going to introduce Lexie to her that afternoon, and he thought that maybe Mel would appreciate the presence of a young woman. Thinking about it, Lexie's personality wasn't far from Elizabeth's, and he was sure that Mel was going to like Lexie a lot.

"I'm ready."

Mark looked up. Mel was in front of him, fully dressed and with her arms folded on her chest, clear expression of the fact that she didn't want to be there with him.

"Okay, let's go."

In the car, Mark turned on the radio to cover the pregnant silence and his nervousness. Mel took out her earphones and isolated herself, staring out of the window, away from him.

There was traffic, but eventually they got to the office, and were called in shortly after their arrival.

"Please, have a seat." the man, smiling, welcomed them. "David Harris, nice to meet you."

Mel raised her eyebrows skeptical, but, to Mark's relief, she sat down without a word.

"Elizabeth and I talked about the situation several times." Harris continued, looking at Mark. "You've never met Melanie before, am I correct?"

Mark nodded. "I didn't know she existed before last night when Elizabeth showed up at my apartment."

It was David Harris's turn to nod. "Elizabeth told me she was going to give you some papers regarding Melanie's custody and birth certificate, and I understand you signed them. May I have a look at them? – Yes, according to these you are now legally Melanie's father, and as expressed in Elizabeth's will she will stay with you. Of course I – or some colleague of mine – will have to check out a few things, such as your job, accommodation, and past, and if everything is okay we'll check on you every few months to make sure everything is alright, but since you're Melanie's biological father and Elizabeth wanted her daughter to live with you, there shouldn't be any problem."

"I'm a surgeon, I work in a hospital as a plastic surgeon, but I have flexible hours. My best friend and mother of my daughter Sofia lives across the hall with her spouse, so in case I'm needed at work Mel can stay with them. And also my girlfriend, Lexie... Mel will always have someone with her. And I took some time off work. I'll be on leave for a couple of weeks, for starters, so that Mel can settle in..."

Harris nodded again, turning to Mel. "Melanie, how do you feel about going to live with your father?" he asked.

"She doesn't really like me. I'm a stranger to her, and I understand if she feels uneasy around me. But I already lost fifteen years of her life, and I'm not really willing to spend more time away from her."

"Elizabeth planned this well, Mr. Sloan. She talked to me and other social workers, to a few attorneys... Mel can move in with you immediately. There will be a trial a few weeks from now to see how things are going and sign some more papers, but as I said, everything will certainly go smoothly. Unless there are complications, Melanie is yours."

Back in the car, Mark was relieved, but still upset about Mel's resentful silence.

"What about this: we go eat something, wherever you want, maybe McDonald's -"

"I'm vegan."

"Oh. Well, you can choose the place, really, I'll settle. And then after we eat we can go to the hospital so that you can see your mom, if you want to."

Mel looked paralyzed for a moment, but then she nodded sadly, putting away her earphones and looking straight at Mark.

"And then we can go get your stuff. Where did you live?"

"Michigan."

"Oh."

"I don't want my old stuff. I have a suitcase with my favorite things at the hotel where Mom and I spent the night."

"I'll buy you new stuff, then. I'm not good at shopping, but I'll go with you. Or you can go with Callie, if you prefer a girl. Did she seem nice to you?"

Mel shrugged.

"Well, I know plenty of women that would take you shopping in a flash, if you don't want me. There's Callie, or her wife Arizona, or Lexie, my girlfriend... she'll come by later. And Meredith, my best friend's wife. Or, me."

Mel turned back to the lateral window. "I'll think about it."

* * *

Mel had decided to wait to go shopping, but she needed a few essential things so Mark took her in a few shops to buy her a new quilt and pillow – apparently lime green was one of her favorite colors – and a coat, because hers was too thin. Since they stopped at the hotel to gather her and Elizabeth's things, and went to a supermarket to buy vegetables, they arrived at Mark's apartment loaded with bags and suitcases, and they struggled to open the door.

Panting, Mark placed some things on the couch and others on the floor, going to the kitchen to get himself some water.

"Are you thirsty, Mel?"

"Yeah..." she said hesitantly.

"Before I forget... Callie and Arizona invited us over for dinner, what do you think? I didn't give them a real answer, I wanted to check if it was okay with you, first. We'd leave whenever you want us to. Their apartment is really nice, cozy. And you'd meet your sister."

"She's my half-sister." Mel pointed out, but Mark caught a glimpse of curiosity in her eyes.

"I know."

"Did you make her in a lab or in the traditional way?" the girl asked bluntly after a while, making Mark almost choke on his water.

He cleared his throat. "In the traditional way..."

"But what about, uh, Arizona, was that her name?"

"Yes. They were broken up..."

Mel shook her head. "Sounds like a soap opera." she said, starting to walk away.

The doorbell rang, and Mark followed Mel out of the kitchen. "It should be Lexie."

Mel, who was almost in her room, stopped on the threshold, hesitant, glancing at the door that Mark was opening.

"Hi, Lex."

"Hey." she smiled at him, slightly nervous, looking past him straight at his daughter. "Hello, Mel. I'm Lexie."

"Hi." Mel forced out the short greeting.

"Come in, Lexie. How was your work day?"

"Quite boring, nothing happened and I got stuck with paperwork. What did you do today?"

Mark waited a few seconds to see if Mel would answer, but of course she didn't. "We talked with a social worker, he explained us a few things. Then we stopped by at the hospital briefly, Mel wanted to see Elizabeth..." Mel bit her lip. The visit at the morgue had worn her out. "And I took Mel to buy a few things. We got home only a few minutes ago."

"It was a long day, then. I guess you're tired, Mel." Lexie sat down on the couch, not at all restrained by Mel's silence. "Have you already met Sofia? I was told we might go over for dinner."

Mel pursed her lips. "Will she cook meat?" she eventually asked defiantly.

Lexie looked at Mark confused.

"She's vegan." he told her. "Well, she loves meat, but she usually cooks a lot of vegetables as well. I can ask her before we go over, if you want."

Mel shrugged, and Mark wasn't sure of what it meant.

"Sofia is really sweet, you'll love her." Lexie told the fifteen-year-old. "And Callie is an amazing cook, her peppers are divine. And she makes home-made pizza. You can ask her to put on it whatever you want, and she will. You'll love it, I promise."

Mel nodded slowly, reluctantly but affirmatively. "I'm hungry."

Mark smiled brightly. "It is almost dinner time, after all. Why don't we go now?"

"Good idea, I'm starving as well. The hospital cafeteria really should have better food or I'll end up starving to death. The salad I ate for lunch tasted like plastic."

Mark knocked, and Callie welcomed them with her usual smile.

"Hey, Mel! Come in, come see my house. It's like Mark's, but prettier... Zona, they're here. I told you they'd come."

Arizona stood up from the floor where she was playing with Sofia and walked towards them cheerfully. "Hi, Mel. We really didn't talk last night, I'm Arizona."

"Hi." the girl said in a low voice, looking around the room until her eyes stopped on Sofia.

"That's Sofia." Mark said proudly. "Why don't you get closer to her? She likes to play with that yellow ball."

Surprisingly, Mel walked to where Sofia was and knelt down next to her, grabbing the ball from the couch and gently throwing it to the little girl. Mark smiled, relaxing more and more. Mel was still extremely silent, especially with him, but at least she was nice and not too much rude, she just used an annoyed tone of voice when she talked, but Mark could live with that for the moment.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. As a first day, it wasn't as bad as I was expecting."

"I'm glad to hear you say it. I was so worried, you didn't call me and I didn't want to intrude so I didn't call either but I thought about you two all day and -"

"We managed, Cal." Mark chuckled. "Now, what's for dinner? You have three very hungry people here."

"Callie made just too many things. All he specialties, she said she was sure you would come. I hope you aren't a picky eater, Mel. Callie will love to stuff you with food."


	3. Adjusting

**The Broken Padlock**

**Chapter Three**

**-Adjusting-**

After his morning shower and cup of coffee, Mark walked down the corridor of his apartment, stopping in front of Mel's bedroom, cautiously peeking inside. The last days had been really hard; there had been Elizabeth's small funeral, and her only relative there, excluding Mel, was Elizabeth's brother Jack, who nonchalantly claimed to have been in the nearby for work. Mel was a wreck. Mark didn't expect her to be happy and shiny, of course, but it hurt him to see her so in pain, constantly crying in her mostly sleepless nights, and he wished she at least _tried_ to be nice to him. Had she been a little more willing to acknowledge he was on her side, things would be a lot more manageable for both of them.

He was supposed to have another full week off, but he was asked by the Chief to go in briefly for a consult, and he wanted to bring Mel along with him. He didn't think it would be a good idea to leave her home alone; he wasn't completely sure she'd stay there, considered she openly disliked him. On the other hand she had yelled at him the previous night because apparently the TV volume was too high, and he didn't want to upset her again; if what she needed was space, he was willing to give her space.

Mark cleared his throat warily, stepping in the room. Mel was sitting on her bed writing on her journal, that she energetically shut as soon as she noticed him.

"I'm sorry." Mark told her. "My chief asked me to go to the hospital... it's going to be a quick thing."

Mel snorted annoyed. "Go, or are you asking for my permission?"

Mark did his best to ignore her tone, though it was hurting him even more than the words. "I'd like you to come with me. Come on, it's gonna be fun. There are a lot of cool things in hospitals when you're not a patient. You could even watch a surgery."

"I hate blood."

"Oh. Well, then... you can meet some of my colleagues. Or Arizona, she works with kids, you could keep company to some of them."

"I'm good here."

"Mel, it's just to do something. Please."

Like in the majority of times he spoke to Mel, Mark was answered with silence, and he was already thinking about turning around and leave the girl to her journal, when her slow answer came, unexpected.

"Only if you buy me a puppy."

Mark opened his mouth to say something, and closed it shortly after, too surprised and unprepared for the question that he couldn't find the words.

Mel was looking at him, her eyebrows raised in a honey-blond arch, a defiant yet somewhat childish gaze that hit him powerfully, reminding him once again she was his daughter.

"I'll think about it." he said. "But if you really want one, I don't see any problem."

Mel stood up from her bed, grabbing a clean t-shirt as she made her way out of the room. Half-way through the bathroom, she turned around quickly, causing Mark, who had followed her and was only two steps behind, to stop abruptly. "I'm allergic to dogs, I just wanted to hear your answer. It was the wrong one, just so you know."

But Mark's hope glimmered when, five minutes later, Mel walked in the kitchen, fully dressed and ready to leave with him.

* * *

Once at the hospital, Mark quickly told Mel how to get to the pediatric floor, suggesting she could look for Arizona and ask to see Sofia, if she wanted to. Then he left, hurrying to find Dr. Webber and the patient he needed a consult on.

Mel watched him walk away, then looked around. The elevator was right in front of her, but she didn't go in. Instead, she followed the directions to the stairs, preferring to walk. She had barely got out of her bed ever since her mother's death, and after all Mark's persistence in making her go with him wasn't too bad. The pediatric floor was the fourth. She didn't feel too much like talking, but she thought Arizona and Callie were nice people, and unlike Mark they didn't seem awkward around her, they knew what to say and do.

"Mel!" Arizona's bubbly voice made Mel turn around. The blonde woman was walking towards her with a smile – she always had a smile on her face, Mel couldn't figure out how she always was so happy.

"Hi." she said softly.

"What are you doing here?" Arizona asked, loosing her hair on her shoulders.

"Mark had to see a patient, or something like that. He made me come."

"That's good! I can show you around, if you want. Or you can watch me work... Or you can go see Sofia. Or Callie."

Mel almost laughed, but she held herself back. "I think I want to be on my own for a while."

Arizona nodded, her smile not fading. "Sure, I understand. Well, this is the pediatric floor, I think some kids might like it if you decide to chat with them for a while. They're all sick and confined here, so some of them might be grumpy, and their parents might not want a stranger to intrude, but just say you know me and they'll adore you. Otherwise just walk around, I'm sure no one will mind once you tell them you're Mark's daughter. Just try not to get in the way if you see the doctors run."

Mel nodded, walking away with a quick wave of her hand.

Arizona watched her leave. She wasn't sure it was a good idea for Mel to spend the majority of her time by herself, sinking in her misery and silent mourning. She hadn't heard the girl talk except for when she and Mark – and even Lexie a few times – were over for dinner. Mel seemed to like her and Callie, and she didn't dislike Sofia either, even though she wasn't willing to spend time with her alone. On the other hand, she was giving Mark a hard time. She heard him talk to Callie, saying he had no idea what to say most of the time, and that Mel was always skeptical and sharp in her answers. Arizona wanted to tell him to give her some time, because it took a lot to get over a loss, but Mark already knew that. Somehow, it was easy for her to talk to Mel, probably because she worked with children every day and she was used to see them act up when they were going through a hard time, but Mark didn't have experience. Sofia was a little girl, and she lived with her and Callie. But Mel was staying at Mark's full-time, and she had the feeling she would have some problems managing as well, in Mark's place. Mel was a sweet girl, she was sure of that, she only needed her time to blossom. Once she got there, Arizona was positive she and Mark were going to bond a lot. They just needed to guide her, help her to open up, no matter how hard it was.

* * *

Mel yawned. She was starting to get bored. She'd been wandering through the hospital, but there was nothing that interested her, and no one that she knew was around. Getting once again on the elevator, she pushed a random button. Getting out, she looked around and frowned when she noticed she was in the psychiatric ward.

_Cool_, she thought, glancing in a few rooms. Most of the patients were laying on their beds, alone, staring blankly at indefinite things. Some of them, on the other hand, were talking to relatives or to other patients.

Mel walked down several corridors, hoping she'd remember how do get back later. Unlike the other floors, that swarmed of doctors and nurses, no one seemed to be around, there.

"Hello."

Mel glanced at her left, from where the strange voice came. A girl around her age was staring at her curiously – and somewhat creepily – with her blue eyes.

Mel hesitated, but she decided to enter the room.

"Hi."

"Are you a patient?" the girl asked, pushing away her blankets to sit in a more comfortable position.

"No, my father works downstairs on the surgical floor. I'm just wandering around."

"You can stay here, if you want. I'm all alone."

"Why are you here?" Mel asked her, and bit her own tongue right after.

"I tried to kill myself." the brunette girl showed her her wrists, pulling up her sleeves. They were tightly bandaged. "I took a lot of medicines, drank two glasses of wine and then I slit my wrists. Unfortunately, my brother and his friend unexpectedly came home; I wasn't even unconscious yet."

Mel stepped further in the room. "Why do you want to die?"

The other girl shrugged nonchalantly.

"Sometimes you just _feel it_, you know? That your time has come."

Mel thought she was crazy. She'd never wish to die.

"What's your name?"

"Leilah."

"I'm Mel."

"You look sad, Mel."

"I am." Mel didn't want to tell her why, she felt pretty uncomfortable with that girl.

"Why?"

It was Mel's turn to shrug.

"I know a good remedy." Leilah simply said. "Cigarettes. They release your stress, take away all your worries. You'd feel way better."

Mel wasn't sure whether it was a good advice. "Cool. Thanks." she said. "Well, I think I'm gonna go now. My father should be done working."

"Come visit me soon." Leilah said, in a tone of voice that made it sound like an order.

Mel nodded. "Bye." and she flew out of the room, quickly walking along the corridors again.

When the elevator got to the surgical floor, Mel let out a relieved sigh. That girl was really creepy, she made her feel uneasy.

Slower, Mel walked down to the entrance and breathed in the fresh air. That hospital made her feel claustrophobic.

She walked around outside for a while, until she found a smoke shop. She hesitated. Some of her friends smoked behind their parents' back, but she always refused to try. Her mom wouldn't have liked it, and she was sure it was disgusting. But Leilah said smoking would help her...

She pushed the door open, and the man behind the counter raised his eyes from the newspaper he was reading to look at her.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

"A pack of cigarettes, please."

The man eyed her.

"No, I'm not old enough." Mel told him annoyed. "But my mom just died, dude, and I could use it, really really use it."

"I can't let you buy them."

"I need them." Mel insisted.

"I really can't."

"My mother died!" Mel yelled in his face.

Eventually, he sighed, handing the pack to her. "Don't come again, though."

Mel walked out, slamming the door.

She smoked a cigarette while she went back to the hospital.

Mark was waiting for her on a bench. "Here you are!" he stood up frantically. "I'm done here. We can go."

Mel nodded, preceding him to his car.

For a split second Mark thought he smelled smoke, but disappeared as fast as it had come.


	4. A Hard Night's Day

**The Broken Padlock**

**Chapter Four**

**-A Hard Night's Day-**

Lexie silently let herself into her boyfriend's apartment, and couldn't help herself but sigh in relief when she saw that his daughter wasn't up yet. Mark was forced to go back to work that day; apparently there were a lot of emergency cases lately, and Webber needed as many doctors as possible. So that morning, as the sun was still rising slowly, half-covered by clouds, Mark drove to the hospital, after making sure Mel was alright in her room.

Lexie was told about the arrangement the night before, when Mark called her asking if she could come over to keep an eye on Mel. He said Callie and Arizona would be next door in their apartment, but that he wanted her to go – if she agreed – so that she and Mel could bond a little.

Lexie was a little anxious; Mel wasn't always nice towards them and she wasn't often willing to talk, and on top of that Lexie had no idea of what Mark _really_ expected her to do, although he made it pretty clear that all she needed to do was to make sure Mel wasn't feeling too sad, and in that case cheer her up, and make her something to eat, even if she claimed she wasn't hungry. Part of her was convinced it was easy and totally manageable, but she also feared to say something that would upset the grieving fifteen-year-old.

Since Mel was still sleeping, Lexie decided to cook her breakfast. Remembering the girl was vegan, Lexie opted for a fruit salad with soy ice-cream to add, and rolls with blueberry jam inside. She made some orange and apple juice and set the table, hoping that Mel would appreciate her efforts.

She quickly went to the bathroom, and glancing inside Mark's bedroom she rolled her eyes seeing a lot of his clothes on the floor of the room, or piled up on a chair. She took some of his shirts and folded them, setting them nicely in Mark's closet. A lot of her clothes were there as well, and Lexie was starting to feel more at home when she was at Mark's rather than when she was at Meredith's house.

Lexie turned the tv on, but there wasn't anything interesting; preferring to spend her time doing something more useful, she did the laundry and started to tidy up the messy house.

When Mel got up from bed Lexie was ironing some of Mark's clothes. She looked up at the girl, giving her her best smile. "Hello, there. Did you sleep well?"

"No." Mel mumbled, rubbing her red eyes with a shrug.

Lexie's smile faded. "I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"

Mel didn't answer right away, and Lexie glanced at her several times as she turned the electric iron off and folded the clothes.

"I had a nightmare, that's all. I don't want to relive it."

"Of course." Lexie nodded. "Come to the kitchen, I made you breakfast." she offered her hand, but Mel didn't take it; Lexie was pleased when the girl followed her, though. She had almost expected a snarky comment.

Lexie carefully placed the food in front of the teenager.

"Thank you." Mel took a bowl of fruit, and Lexie sat on the other chair and ate some as well.

"Your dad should be home in the late afternoon, but he said he would try to come home for his lunch break. I don't think he'll make it, though, once you get to work and they see you're available, it's hard to leave when you want."

Mel nodded. Part of her was happy to spend the day without him. She still resented him for the way in which he treated her mom before she died, but even for the years before that. She figured her mom would have told him she was pregnant, had he been a good, responsible person. The other part of her, though – still small and hesitant, but growing – wanted to get to know her father better. She wanted to find similarities between the two of them, she wanted him to tell her everything Elizabeth had always refused to say. Something was still holding her back, and she still felt the need to punish Mark for never being there, but she knew that talking to Mark's family and friends was some sort of first step.

"What do you feel like doing, today?"

"I don't know. I usually spend all my time in my room."

"We can do something a little more fun, today. Do you want to go shopping? Mark mentioned you need clothes, if I don't recall wrong."

"I do." Mel admitted. "I don't have any money though. My moms used to give me a weekly pocket money."

"Mel, do you really think I'd let you use your money? I'll pay. You don't have to worry about it. And I'll talk to Mark about your allowance. You might need your own money if we happen to not be around."

Mel blushed. "Thank you."

"We're family now. Your mom paid for your stuff, and now your dad will. It's how it works, parents do that. And Callie, Arizona and I will be just as happy as him to do things for you."

Mel nodded. She liked Lexie, and she liked Callie and Arizona. She wasn't completely used to their presence in her life yet, because it had always been just her mom and her and now there suddenly were a lot of people around her, but they were nice and funny and she noticed that Mark felt more comfortable when he talked to her if they were in the room as well.

"We have several options. If you don't want to go out, we can shop online, but actual shops are way more fun." Lexie was getting excited. Mel agreed to do something with her, and she stopped feeling nervous. "So you can either choose the mall or the downtown shops. Your choice."

Mel shrugged. "I don't know Seattle at all. What's nicer?" she asked.

"There are a few shops that I really love, downtown."

"I was hoping you'd say that... I don't like malls."

"Me neither, not much at least. When I was five I got lost in a mall, my parents found me after about fifteen minutes, but it seemed much longer to me."

Mel stood up and took the empty bowls to the sink. "I'm going to get dressed, then."

Lexie glanced out of the window. "Put on something that will keep you warm, it's about to start raining and there's a lot of wind."

"Okay." Mel went to her room and closed the door. As she chose her outfit – a deep blue sweater and a denim skirt with tights – she thought about Lexie and about her mother. Lexie was nice to her, and though she probably was closer to her in age than to Mark, she had acted like a mother a few minutes earlier, telling her to dress up properly and making her breakfast. If she ended up staying with Mark, would Lexie be her mother? She didn't want to replace Elizabeth, she'd never to that. Mel felt herself panicking. Lexie was nice, she liked her, and she liked how she took care of her that morning. But could she really let her in? And could she let _Mark_ in? Glancing at her mother's picture on her nightstand, she sighed. She didn't have an answer yet. Most of the time she didn't even know how she felt, or if she even felt something at all.

Lexie knocked on the door, and Mel opted for stopping her thoughts for the whole day. She hadn't had a pleasant day since her mother had died, and although the wound was still fresh and bleeding, she knew she deserved to have a good day.

"I'm ready." she said.

Lexie nodded with her smile. Mel forced herself to smile in return. What had Callie said that first night? _Having a dad is more than 'just fine'_. Mel didn't believe her yet, but she was most definitely right. And Mel knew she would have a more than fine life with a mother figure by her side.

Lexie drove, glancing at Mel from time to time. "Do you like The Beatles?"

"Who doesn't?" Mel answered, half-faking an incredulous voice.

Lexie turned on the radio, pushing in a CD and going to track 3. "_Here comes the sun_ is my favorite song."

"Mine is _All you need is love_."

"Yeah, that's my second favorite, I think. No, wait... it's _Lucy in the sky with diamonds_."

Mel nodded. "I love it."

They spent the next minutes talking about their favorite songs and bands, and Lexie was happy to finally see Mel smile, even if her smiles where hesitant and they never lasted long. She stopped the car in a parking lot, glancing at the sky as she locked the car. It was definitely going to rain.

"Follow me, there's a good shop around the corner. I'm sure you can find something there."

Lexie pushed the door open, and Mel followed her inside. She immediately started to look through the clothes.

Lexie watched her curiously. Mel seemed to like colored things. She was looking at an orange long-sleeved shirt. There was something written on it, but Lexie couldn't see what it was. She let the girl gather up some garments, observing her. After a while Mel walked up to her. "I'm going to try these things on."

"Sure, go on."

Mel showed her each outfit as she put them on. In the end Lexie bought her two pair of jeans, one pair of leggings and two t-shirts. After she paid, she took Mel to other two shops, watching as the younger girl's mood improved. Mel chose another pair of jeans, a casual dress, two tights, three sweaters and a blue quilted jacket before claiming it was enough.

"Are you sure? Don't you need shoes?" Lexie asked her. They could go buy them some other day, but they were there, and they were having fun.

Mel looked at her feet, then shook her head, giving Lexie a genuine smile. "No, I'm good. But we should go shopping together again, Lexie. I had fun today. Thank you."

"No, Mel, thank _you_. I had lots of fun as well, and it wouldn't have happened if you had locked yourself up in your room."

"You're right." the teenager admitted. "It was a nice morning."

They walked back to Lexie's car, holding the bags.

"Are you hungry?"

"A little. It's almost lunch time after all."

"Me too. I think Mark said there is some leftover in the refrigerator."

"Good." Mel nodded.

Just as Lexie was stopping the car in front of Mark's building, her pager went off. She groaned.

Mel looked at her, holding back a grumpy sigh. She was having fun with Lexie. "Do you have to go?"

"I'm afraid I do." Lexie sighed. "I'll walk you upstairs though. And don't worry, you won't be alone. Callie and Arizona are supposed be home."

* * *

"They're so beautiful." Arizona said, resting her head on her wife's shoulder. Meredith and Derek were working, so they were watching little Zola. She and Sofia, happy to have a playmate, had worn each other out, and now they were peacefully sleeping on the thick patchwork quilt on the floor.

"They are." Callie smiled. "And one of them is ours. I still can't believe I made her, sometimes."

"And I can't believe I got mad about it. She's my life now."

"I know." Callie whispered, thinking about the past two years. The past two _perfect_ years. "I love you."

Arizona turned her face to kiss her. "I love you too, beautiful."

They simultaneously adjusted their bodies so that they could entangle themselves in a hug of kisses and moans.

"Shh..." Arizona giggled when Callie let out a pleased noise. "We'll end up waking the tiny humans."

Callie kissed her neck in answer, and Arizona's turn to taste a piece of heaven.

But suddenly the door burst open, and both of them jumped back, pulling apart from one another.

"Lexie?"

"Er, I'm sorry. I – I didn't mean to just come in like this. It's just – Mark gave me a copy of his key. And I have to go to the hospital. Oh, and Mel is here, she has to stay with you."

Callie stood up, ran her hands through her hair and cleared her throat. The idyllic moment ended too soon. "It's okay, go save lives. We'll take care of Mel."

Lexie nodded, gave them a quick wave as a goodbye, and was out of the door before they could say anything else.

Mel burst out laughing – for the first time since her mother's death – and Arizona did as well, followed by Callie.

"Well, come on and sit down." Arizona told her after their laughter died down.

"Have you met Zola, Mel?"

"Who is she?"

"She's Derek and Meredith's daughter. Derek is your father's best friend."

"Oh."

"She's Sofia's age, they're really close."

Instead of getting comfortable on the couch, the girl plopped down on the floor, next to the two toddlers, and she brushed her fingers against Sofia's forehead.

"You can play with her, when she wakes up." Arizona told her softly. "I know it must be hard to accept that you have a sister you never knew existed, but I'm sure you'll bond quickly. She'll love to have a big sister."

Mel hinted a smile. "My mom's best friend had a little girl. I babysat once."

"You can come here whenever you want to play with her. Or if you feel like talking to someone other than Mark, we'll be here."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome, Mel."

"Hey, I'm gonna make some lunch. Have you eaten, Mel?"

"No, not yet. Lexie and I were about to have lunch when she was paged."

"Is pasta with eggplants okay?" Arizona asked.

"Sure, it's perfect."

"What did you and Lexie do this morning?" Callie asked Mel as they set the table for lunch and Arizona cooked.

"Lexie took me shopping downtown. She was really kind, she bought me a lot of clothes."

"Can I see them?"

"Callie loves shopping." Arizona informed the girl when she saw her wife's eyes light up.

Mel took her bags, showing everything to the two women.

"I love these. You have good taste in clothes, Mel. We should go together, next time."

"Sure, I'd like that." Mel smiled.

"Just let me know when you need new clothes, or even when you're simply craving shopping and need someone to go with."

"I'll do that, thank you."

"Lunch is ready!" Arizona told them, placing three very full plates on the table.

"It looks amazing, Zona."

"Aren't Sofia and Zola eating with us?" Mel wondered.

"They had a snack about forty minutes ago; they'll eat when they wake up. They really did wear themselves out."

"Oh, okay."

Callie and Arizona told Mel stories about Sofia and Mark while they ate, and they explained to her who Meredith and Derek were.

Mel felt like she was becoming part of that big happy family, and though sometimes she felt out of place, she liked to listen to Callie and Arizona talk, informing her of how her life would be from that moment on: full of nosy overprotective surgeons who would soon love her to death.

Growing up with her mother, Mel had often dreamed about having a huge family, and little by little she was getting it. Yes, it all started because of her mother's death, and she would never get over it, but all those people made her see there was something good in the world, something to live for.

The girls woke up one hour later, and after another snack they seemed to decide Mel was their new favorite person, because they kept climbing on her lap and on her back, playing with her hair and earrings, asking to be picked up and cuddled.

A few hours later Mel was definitely in love with her younger sister, almost wishing they lived together, although the difference wasn't really big with the actual situation.

Mark let himself into the apartment at almost seven, when Callie was already cooking her famous pepperoni and Zola had gone home. Mel instantly liked Meredith too.

"Hello, my ladies." Mark greeted them with a grin, holding a big box that he put on the floor.

"What's that?" Arizona asked him, curious.

"It's for Mel."

"For me?"

"You and only you. Come here, open it."

As always when she was with Mark, Mel felt something hold her back, but curiosity won over her doubts, and she stepped forwards to open the mysterious box.

"_You got me a guinea pig?!_"

Mark shrugged nonchalantly, but he couldn't hide a smile. "You said you're allergic to dogs, so I opted for something else. Have you ever heard of someone who's allergic to guinea pigs?"


	5. Aloo Gobi And Vegan Lasagne

**The Broken Padlock**

**Chapter Five**

**-Aloo Gobi And Vegan Lasagne-**

"Hey," Derek greeted Mark as he walked into his office, collapsing on the free chair.

"Hey."

"Where's your kid?"

"Home with Arizona. They're apparently bonding over their cooking skills. And Callie will be taking Sofia home in a while. Yours?"

Derek's lips parted in a huge smile when he was asked about his little girl. "Meredith went to the daycare to get her, we're leaving for the airport in about ten minutes."

"Why?" Mark frowned. "You're not leaving, are you? You need to tell me what to do with Mel, you can't go on vacation just like that."

Derek rolled his eyes. "Don't freak out, we just need to go pick Mom up. She misses us and Zola, so she decided to come here for a while. She'll probably stay for a week or two."

Mark adored Carolyn Shepherd, and he loved when she visited. When they still lived in New York, years back, Mark, Addison and Derek had dinner at her house at least every other weekend. Derek expected his best friend to express his delight at the news of her upcoming visit, but instead he was met by a very alarmed look.

"What's wrong?" he asked, perplexed.

"I haven't told her about Mel!" Mark chocked out.

At those words, Derek understood Mark's reaction, and felt a little worried as well. Carolyn thought of Mark as a son, and for the same reason she considered Sofia her granddaughter. She wouldn't be pleased to know she had yet another female grandchild that she hadn't been informed of immediately.

"Well, you can call her now." Derek suggested. "What can she say, after all? She'll be happy to have another addition to the family. It's like with Lexie. You were afraid to tell everyone but in the end we all loved her."

Mark glared at him. "_You_ didn't want to know about Lexie. And it's different with Mel. She's my _daughter_. I haven't even told her who Mom is. She saw you only once, and Meredith twice. She doesn't know that Sofia calls your mother 'Nana'!"

"Well, you've gotta solve this problem fast, because you're supposed to come to dinner at my place, and leaving Mel home is not an option. Plus, she wants to see Callie, Arizona and Sofia as well."

Mark sighed. "Alright, I'll call her. It's better if she hears it from me, even if it's two weeks late. Can you keep her off of me until dinner time, though? I need to talk to Mel about her. I don't think she likes meeting new people much, and tonight there will be a lot of people."

Derek patted Mark on his shoulder. "She'll be happy for you, Mark. And Mel will love her, like everyone does. And she already knows us, even if not well. I talked to Callie the other day, and she said that she's starting to fit in. And Lexie won't shut up about her."

Mark smiled at that. "Lexie is amazing. She took it so well. After Sofia, I expected her to turn around, run, and never come back again, but she stayed and now I know that only death can tear us apart."

"She changed you." Derek simply said, stating something they both knew very well. "You're a better person when you're with Lexie."

"I know. Promise me something, Derek."

"What?"

"Don't let me screw up what I have with Lexie. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I let her go."

"I promise I won't let you." Derek told him. "I have to go now, I don't want Mom to wait for us. I'll see you at dinner."

"Yeah." Mark agreed as his best friend left. Carolyn was the mother he had missed growing up, and he couldn't understand how he didn't think about calling her. Sure, things had been hectic in the past weeks, but Mark knew he was supposed to tell her, to remember he _had_ to tell her. He knew Carolyn wouldn't been that much angry or disappointed, but he felt guilty.

Dialing the number, Mark decide he would just tell her, because if he took time to think about the right words, he'd never actually say it.

"_Mark!_" Carolyn picked up after the first ring. Mark guessed she was waiting for Derek to call her.

"Hey, Mom."

_"Mark, you haven't called in almost two months! Are you okay?"_

"I'm okay." Mark told her. "Look, I have big news, Mom."

_"Are you and Lexie getting married?"_ Carolyn asked, and Mark smiled hearing the sincere excitement in her voice.

"No, not yet, Mom, but I plan to propose soon. Once things settle down again."

_"Why, what happened?"_ now Carolyn was concerned.

"I didn't do anything, don't freak out. It's a good thing. Sudden, and unexpected, but good. I have a daughter. I mean – some girl I knew back in college showed up and told me she had a daughter who's mine – and then she died of cancer, and Mel now lives with me."

Mark breathed in deeply, waiting for Carolyn to break the silence.

_"You have a daughter?"_

"I do." Mark nodded.

_"Her name is Mel?"_

"Yeah. Melanie, but she goes by Mel."

_"My, Mark. Does she look like you?"_

"A little, Mom. You'll see her tonight. She's beautiful. You'll love her."

_"I'm sure of that."_ Carolyn told him, moved, and Mark pictured her there, wiping away happy tears from her smiley face.

"It's been so chaotic. I don't know what to do with this grieving girl, all I know is that she's my world now and I couldn't live without her."

_"Welcome to parenthood again, son."_

"I wish Christopher were here to see her and Sofia. Well – and Zola and all of the other grandchildren of yours."

_"I know. But I am here, Mark, and I'm not going anywhere. Now tell me, how did Lexie take it? Is she upset?"_

"She was a little, at first, but she fell in love with Mel, like we all did. She's amazing. I can't wait for you to see her. I know I haven't called in a while – I was going to, I promise. A few minutes ago Der told me you were coming and it got to me – time went by so quickly lately, I barely realized it."

_"Don't worry about it, Mark. Just make sure Mel is ready to meet me. Have you told her about me?"_

"Not yet," Mark admitted. "I've been so focused on everything else. But I'm on my way home now, and I'll tell her everything she needs to know, so that when we meet up later she'll feel like she already knows you."

_"Good. Good. I have to hang up now, Mark. I'm so proud of you, son."_

"Thank you, Mom. It means so much to me." Mark told her before he hung up.

And it did mean the world to him. Carolyn had always been amazing towards him, ever since the day when, back in first grade, Derek asked her if she could give him an extra sandwich for lunch to bring to his new friend Mark. From that moment on, Carolyn made sure Mark had something to eat and drink, that he was dressed properly, and that he walked home safely. Slowly, she started to bring him to her house more and more, until Mark called Derek's sisters _his_ sisters, and Carolyn became his mom. Not legally, of course, and Mark never spent more than two nights in a row at the Shepherds', but he felt a part of the family, like he belonged there with them. That feeling never stopped.

* * *

"Okay, I mixed it all. Now?"

Arizona glanced at the book, then turned her eyes back to Mel. "Now, the oil is ready. We need to add the hing and cumin seeds, and then the bay leaves and green chilies."

"Done." Mel said, and they watched the pan for a moment, contemplating their work.

"Good. Now hand me the spice paste... we need to wait a minute now. Are the potatoes and cauliflower ready?"

"For the hundredth time, yes! Seriously, stop asking."

"Sorry; well, we have to add them in a minute, and then let it cook for twenty minutes. Wow, it's not that hard. I thought aloo gobi would be harder to cook."

"Why?" Mel asked, sitting on the table.

Arizona shrugged. "It's Indian. Can you sit on a chair, please?"

Mel rolled her eyes, but hopped down of the wooden table. "It smells nice."

"It does." Arizona agreed.

"Can we do lasagne next?"

"If you want to, yes. We should have all the ingredients. But wait – I thought you were vegan."

"Vegan lasagne."

"Oh. Right. Does it taste good?"

"Arizona!" Mel protested.

"I'm joking, I'm joking. Why are you vegan, though? What made you stop eating some food?"

"They hurt them. The animals. They bring them up, away from where they should be, then kill off their cubs and kill them off as well, and they take away their milk, or eggs, or..._stuff_."

"That sounds awful." Arizona agreed.

"It's not like that in some farms. But there are too few exceptions to how bad they treat them. So I stopped eating animal-related food and I'm happier now. Oh, and vegan diets are also healthier."

Arizona let out a chuckle. "You do seem super healthy. You'll get along with Derek. Have you already met him?"

"Mark's friend? Yep. I met him once, he stopped by to give Mark something... I can't remember what it was. A few days ago, anyway. But why?"

"He's a health freak. He only eats healthy food and once he saw Meredith eat McDonald's food... he freaked out."

"He's right." Mel told her, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Everyone should be vegan."

"Derek's not vegan, though. Although he doesn't eat much meat..."

"Good for him." Mel nodded. "He'll live longer and suffer from less heart problems and things like that. You're a doctor. Aren't you supposed to know these things?"

"I'm a pediatric surgeon, Mel, not a nutritionist."

"Still."

"Anyway, hand me the mango powder and the cilantro. It's time to add them as well. We're basically done, then we can cook your lasagne."

"Oh, you'll love it. You'll all love it." Mel promised with a giggle.

Arizona smiled to herself. She had suggested to cook in order to distract Mel, and it was working better than she expected. The girl was having fun, she seemed completely relaxed and at ease, and her smile hadn't faded once, plastered on her rosy face.

"Alright, what do we need?" Arizona asked once the aloo gobi was ready.

"Onions, spinach, garlic, tofu, vegan cream cheese -"

"Wait, we don't have those, Mel. The tofu and the cream cheese."

"Oh. I can go buy them, if you want."

"It's up to you. We can either go buy them or cook something else."

"The grocery store is at the corner of the road, isn't it? It'll take me a minute." Mel said, taking her jeans jacket. It was quite cold outside lately.

Arizona watcher her with a soft smile, but she was slightly worried. The store _was_ at the end of the road, only two minutes away by feet, but she had promised Mark she wouldn't let Mel out of her sight. On the other hand, though, she refused to be oppressive. Mel was going through a lot, and she needed her own space to heal.

"Take your phone with you. And here," she took her wallet and gave Mel some money. "Could you also get some guacamole? Callie loves that sauce."

"Sure. I'll be right back."

After Mel closed the door, Arizona cleaned the table and tidied up the kitchen, making space for the new ingredients Mel was buying. She hadn't told her that Carolyn Shepherd would be in town, and that they were all invited over for dinner. Derek told Callie in the early morning when he saw her at daycare, and Callie told her, but they wanted to leave it to Mark. After all, neither of them knew the woman too well. She always sent cards and gifts for them and for Sofia, and she visited twice every year, but they couldn't really say they knew her, even if their daughter called her Nana. Arizona wondered how Mel was going to feel, knowing she had to spend a whole night with people she barely knew. Mel was actually more extroverted than she initially seemed, but she liked calm and quiet, and Arizona was sure she wouldn't be comfortable – at first. After a while, she'd feel part of that big family and she'd take down her walls.

Mel walked back in fifteen minutes later, with a bag full of food that she placed on the table. "I also bought red pepperoni, celery and some fruit." she told Arizona, taking a grape and eating it. "I love grapes."

"Me too." Arizona took one as well and smiled. "Do you want to drink something? I made some orange juice while you were at the grocery store."

"Sure, thanks."

They quietly sat at the table for a few minutes, then Mel brought their empty glasses to the sink and looked at Arizona with a wide smile, ready to cook. Together they took all the ingredients and started to prepare the lasagne. Mel apparently thought Arizona was worried about the unknown plate and she kept reassuring her happily. Looking at her, no one would have guessed she had lost her mother two weeks earlier. It was the first time that Mel hid her most miserable feelings, and that state of joy suited her. He blonde hair, usually up in a lazy tail, was now loose on her shoulders, framing her face with gold and light. Her smile was soft, genuine and fresh, like her rare laughter.

They had just put the lasagne in the oven and started to prepare some vegetables skewers when the door opened and Mark appeared in the kitchen.

"Hey, girls! Are you having fun? How are you, Mel?"

"We are, Mark. We cooked aloo gobi, vegan lasagne and now we're making skewers, with vegetables though. Oh, and I'm fine, thank you."

"Good." Mark walked to the table, observing them work. "What's aloo gobi?"

"An Indian plate." Arizona told him. "You'll like it."

Mark warily nodded, not being a big fan of foreign food. "If you say so. Well, Callie and Sofia will be here in less than thirty minutes, and I'd like to talk to you before they arrive, Mel."

The girl looked up surprised. "Okay."

"Do you remember when I told you that my mother died when I was young?"

Mel sucked in some air. "Yeah."

"Well, my dad fell into depression after that, and he wasn't there for me most of the time. So when I met Derek at school he introduced me to his family and I started to consider his mom mine."

Mel winced. She knew Mark was younger than her when he lost his mother, but she couldn't imagine how someone else could take her place. In her mind, it wasn't an option.

"I know what you're thinking. I didn't let myself get attached for a long time, before I realized that I already was, and that Derek's family was already mine. One day I decided to talk about how I felt to Carolyn, and she asked if I wanted to call her mom. I was shocked at first, I thought it was wrong, that I couldn't do it, that I already had a mom and it wasn't her. But the thing is that she was, in some way. And I wanted her to be."

"What's your point?" Mel asked harshly. Was Mark trying to say that she had to call his girlfriend 'mom'?

"Well – since she's like a mother to me and you're my daughter, I guess she's kind of your grandmother now. I wanted to let you know about her, because Derek's just told me that she's in Seattle. She'll be staying at his place, but she'd like us to go over for dinner tonight."

Mel turned to Arizona. "Is that why we're cooking?"

Arizona shrugged, pouring another glass of juice and offering it to Mel. "In part, yes. I wanted you to have a nice day, and I was thinking about ways to make you have fun when Callie told me we would be going to the Shepherds' for dinner, so I thought we could cook, hoping you would like it. We had fun, didn't we? You just said so."

"Yes. We did." Mel looked at Mark again. "Who's going to be there?"

"Derek, Meredith and Zola, obviously; then the two of us, Callie, Arizona and Sofia, and maybe Lexie, if she can make it."

Mel nodded. She knew the majority of those people. She could do it. "Okay," she said.

Mark sighed with relief. He honestly didn't know how he expected Mel to react, but he had probably worried too much.

"So," he said, changing the subject. "Tell me about this aloo gobi thing I'm going to eat later."

* * *

Mel's big eyes widened when she got out of the car in front of Derek and Meredith's house. In Michigan she lived in a small apartment, and her mother's friends did as well. One of her classmates, Jenna, had a house, but it was pretty small, especially compared to the one Mel was looking at in that moment.

"It's -"

"I know." Mark agreed with a smile. "Derek bought this land when he first came to Seattle eight years ago. He and Meredith lived in her old house, and eventually built one here. They weren't supposed to move in for another few months, but they anticipated."

"I wish I could live in a house like this, some day."

"I'm sure you will."

"Mm-mm." Mel mumbled, apparently closing herself up in her personal world.

"Well, are you ready to go in? The others should already be in there. You can play with Sof and Zola."

Mel nodded, hinting a smile despite her nervousness. She had never had many friends growing up, she preferred her mother's solid company. Being with a lot of people agitated her. She watched as Mark knocked on the door. Meredith opened a few seconds later, holding Zola in her arms.

"Hey, guys. It's good to see you, Mel! Come on in." Meredith gently pushed Mel towards the dining room, that was already full of food and people.

"Mark!"

Mel stared at the white-haired woman as she hugged Mark tightly. She wasn't how she imagined her. For some reason, she always imagined old people as if they were about to die – probably as a consequence of seeing her mom's best friend's mother in her last days of life – but Carolyn Shepherd was anything but fragile. Looking at her, Mel knew she had been through a lot, but that she was strong, very strong, and resolute about everything.

After squeezing Mark in her arms, Carolyn turned her full attention to the fifteen-year-old that she now considered her granddaughter. Mel shyly offered her her right hand, but Carolyn, to her surprise, pulled her forward, and Mel found herself in the woman's arms. Mel realized that, though she didn't know Carolyn at all, she instantly felt comfortable near her. Maybe it was because she was a mother of five (six if Mark was included) and she had many grandchildren, so she knew how to act around young people; maybe it was because all Mel needed was to feel loved, and Carolyn loved her without a doubt, as the long hug told her. Suddenly, she felt tears in her eyes. It was overwhelming. In that moment more than ever in those two endless weeks, she missed her mom. Elizabeth always hugged her, for no reason sometimes, simply because she needed to feel her close, because she wanted to tell her something without using words. Mark was always clumsy around her, and despite everything Callie, Arizona and Lexie's efforts to act normal weren't enough. Their kind gestures weren't enough, not yet. They treated her more like a friend than like a child, and lately Mel didn't feel grown up at all, she felt little and unprotected and vulnerable. That hug, Carolyn's long and tight hug filled her with warmth and security again, and Mel didn't care how long it would last, she only knew that for a while she would be feeling better, because there's nothing better than a hug when you're feeling down, and Elizabeth knew it, but she wasn't there, so she'd have to settle for Carolyn's, and for the moment it could be enough. It had to be. She didn't have any other choice.

"Are you okay?" Arizona asked her.

"Sure." Mel shook her head to get over the wave of pain and sadness that was taking control of her mind and body.

Arizona smiled at her, and Mel thought that maybe she understood more than she initially thought.

"Well, why don't we start eating now? I'm so curious about those vegan lasagne we cooked. I couldn't wait to get here to taste it."

Mel forced out a smile, thankful for the distraction. "Okay. I'm actually a little hungry."

"This way, Mel." Derek told her. "You can sit between Arizona and Sofia."

"Thanks."

They all sat down. Mel noticed they all glanced at her from time to time, as if they thought she'd break down at any moment. But she didn't mind that much. She listened to them talking, she helped her half-sister eat, she smiled when they complimented her for her cooking skills. She didn't feel like talking, but little by little she realized her nervousness had gone, not completely, but almost. The dinner went smoothly. No one forced her to do anything, and the situation gave her the chance to get used to Mark's friends. After all, she'd probably have to stay with him, although she still felt reluctant to live with a man she didn't know anything about. Callie, who was sitting in front of her, constantly filled her plate with food. Derek let her have a sip of the white wine they were drinking. Meredith said that she could go play with the two little girls, after dinner, if she was getting bored with them. But Mel wasn't getting bored. Not as much as expected to, anyway. They were all nice and funny, and interesting. At some point, they started to talk about medical procedures, and Mel was surprised when Carolyn joined the conversation.

"Were you a doctor?" she heard herself ask, finally raising her eyes from her plate.

"I was a nurse," Carolyn answered her warmly. "I've always been obsessed with helping people, and that was the best way I could find. Female doctors weren't much appreciated when I was young."

Mel nodded, feeling shy again. Was she supposed to say something now?

"What do you want to do when you grow up, Mel?" Arizona rescued her. Yes, it was a direct question, but at least she knew what to say.

"I've always want to study marketing."

"Marketing?!" Mark looked at her with wide eyes.

Mel shrugged.

"Leave her be, Mark. Just because you're a doctor, it doesn't mean your daughters have to be."

Mark looked at Sofia, who was playing with her pasta, and opened his mouth to say something, but he changed his mind and turned to Mel again. "You can do whatever you want."

"I know, I wasn't doubting it."

"Good. Er, well..."

"Although I could be a doctor. I could be a doctor and save people who have my mom's disease."

Mark felt a knot in his throat. It took him a while to talk. "Yes. You can. You can."


End file.
